HISTORY: A Griz Football 2023 Season Recap

The Montana Grizzlies put together one of the most memorable seasons in program history in 2023, emerging from the shadows as a team that was picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll to making a magical run the FCS national championship.

Not only was it, appropriately, the 37^th winning season of the past 38 years of Grizzly football, it was a rebound season that saw UM bounce-back from a September loss with a new quarterback to rattle off 10-straight wins en route to UM's eighth title game appearance.

Despite the season ending on a sour note to a South Dakota State team that entered the championship having won 28-straight games, Montana's season was one for the record books.

While there were many individual standouts, Montana did it as a team in 2023, using a balanced attack offensively and a defense that lacked the superstars of years past but managed to put together one of the best overall defensive performances in Grizzly history.

With six wins over ranked opponents, a rivalry win, a regular season sellout, and three of the most memorable playoff games to ever be played in Missoula, this season had it all. Here are some of the highlights.

POSTSEASON PARTICULARS
• Montana made its FCS-record 27th playoff appearance in program history. The Griz are 38-25 (.603) all-time in FCS/1-AA playoffs, 35-7 at home, 2-13 on the road, and 1-5 in neutral site games. Bobby Hauck is 17-11 in the postseason during his 12 seasons as Montana's head coach.

• Montana is the winningest FCS team of the 21st century with 226 wins since the year 2000. The Griz beat the second-winningest FCS team of the century in the semifinal, with NDSU finishing its season with 225 FCS wins since the turn of the millennium.

The Griz are the winningest team of the 2000's, winning 119 games between 2000 and 2009. NDSU is the winningest team of the 2010's, winning 137 games between 2010 and 2019. NDSU moved up to the FCS in 2004.

• To reach the final, Montana won 10-straight games with seven of those wins coming against ranked opponents and five against top-10 teams, including beating then-No. 3 Idaho on the road, No. 7 Sacramento State, and No. 4 Montana State to cap the regular season. Delaware was ranked No. 11, Furman No. 7, NDSU No. 8, and SDSU No. 1.

• The Grizzlies dominated rival Montana State 37-7 in the 122^nd "Brawl of the Wild" to win the program's 19th Big Sky Championship – the most titles of any program in the league.

• The 2023 Big Sky Championship is the 19^th in program history, the 13^th outright title in school history, and the 8^th under head coach Bobby Hauck.

HAUCK'S HISTORY: Hauck became the winningest coach of all time in the Big Sky Conference in 2023, now sitting at 129-36 in 12 seasons with the Grizzlies. He broke former Northern Arizona coach (and Montana assistant) Jerome Souers' record of 123 wins against Sac State, and his sideline gear and a game ball from that win are now in the College Football Hall of Fame.

He was named the Big Sky Coach of the Year for the 4th time in his career this season, the AFCA Region 5 Coach of the Year for the third time in his career, and a Finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award for the second time after winning his eighth Big Sky Championship in November.

• A SPECIAL TEAMS SPECIALIST: Hauck, who serves as head coach and special teams coordinator, has seen his units excel in the third phase this season with the Griz totaling 16 returns for touchdowns since returning to UM in 2018.

He's coached two Big Sky record holders in Bergen (who is tied for the league record with 5 career punt return scores) and Malik Flowers (who tied the NCAA record for career kickoff return scores with 7). Who did Flowers tie that record with? San Diego State's Rashaad Penny, who Hauck coached before returning to UM. He also coached one of the former school record holders for returns, Marc Mariani, who famously sparked a Grizzly comeback against SDSU with a special teams score.

• IN THE COMMUNITY: He was also presented with the Grant Teaff "Breaking the Silence" Award by the Jason Foundation at the AFCA Convention in January, honoring a head coach that has exceeded expectations as a National Awareness Ambassador, helping spread awareness of youth suicide.

All-American Breakdown: Montana was well-represented on the five most prestigious FCS All-America lists this season, with Alex Gubner leading the way with four selections.

Here's a list of all the honorees and the team they were selected to.

AFCA All-American Team
First Team
Alex Gubner, DL

AP All-American Teams
First Team
Alex Gubner, DL

Second Team
Junior Bergen, AP

Third Team
Braxton Hill, LB

Stats Perform FCS All-American Teams
Second Team
Alex Gubner, DL
Braxton Hill, LB
Junior Bergen, AP

Walter Camp All-American Teams
First Team
AJ Forbes, OL
Trevin Gradney, DB

Phil Steele All-American Teams
Third Team
Alex Gubner, DL
Braxton Hill, LB

GRIZ IN THE POLLS: Montana finished second in both the Stats Perform Media Poll and the FCS Coaches Poll following a trip to the national championship, and an outright Big Sky Conference title. The final ranking comes five months after coaches around the league picked the Griz to finish 6^th in the preseason poll and media around the conference picked them second.

The second place ranking to end the season is the highest for the Griz since 2009 and only the eighth time in program history UM has finished the year first or second in the media poll.

Montana was the highest ranked of five teams from the Big Sky to finish with a top 25 ranking, with Idaho coming in at No. 8, Montana State at No. 9, Sacramento State at No. 13, and UC Davis at No. 24.

The Griz also end the season with the third-longest active streak in the Stats Perform media poll, having been ranked now in 42-consecutive polls.

HISTORIC DEFENSE: Under first year coordinator Ronnie Bradford, Montana's defense was stout in the areas Coach Hauck emphasizes as key to winning ballgames: stop the run, create turnovers, and get the defense off the field on third down. Do that, and good overall numbers follow.

That was just what this year's Griz D did, putting up some of the most historic numbers ever at Montana. How historic? Let's take a deep dive.

We matched up this year's defensive strengths with Grizzly defenses of the last decade, in Hauck's first tenure (2003-2009), and the previous two teams to win a national championship (1995 & 2001) to see where the 2023 Griz stacked up. Spoiler alert: it's up there with the best.

• Stop the run: Montana allowed just 108.5 yards per game rushing this season – the third fewest in the FCS and a Big Sky-low. Those 108.5 yards were the second fewest of the last decade allowed (the 2021 Griz allowed the fewest rush yards ever at UM at 82.2), and the third fewest ever at UM under Hauck or on the two championship teams.

• Stop the pass: The Griz were also stout against the pass, especially late in the season. Of the last five QB's Montana faced (from the MSU game through the national championship), none completed more than 17 passes, with the team allowing an average of just 11 completions per game and a 43 percent average completion rate in that time. Average passing yards allowed hovered right around 156 through those five games as well.

All that equated to a season-long 111.39 pass efficiency defense rating – the fifth best rating in the FCS and the second-best of the last decade at UM.

• Create turnovers: Led by Trevin Gradney, Montana picked off 17 passes this season, the fourth most in the FCS and the second most at UM in the last decade behind 18 in 2021 when Justin Ford led the NCAA in picks. Hauck's teams of the early aughts, however, averaged 19 picks per year.

Montana finished the year with a Big Sky-best total in turnover margin (+9) and turnovers gained (24). UM's turnover margin is the No. 18-best in the nation, while the turnover count is No. 10 in the FCS. The Griz outscored opponents 77-37 off turnovers this season, taking advantage of takeaways.

• Gets stops on 3^rd down: UM had the FCS's No. 3 third down defense in 2023, allowing teams to convert just 29 percent of the time. Only one other Grizzly team of the last decade had a better percentage (.27 in 2016), and just two other teams in Hauck's tenure or title-winning season were better (.28 in 2006 and .29 in 1995)

• Scoring D: Montana's defense kept teams out of the endzone at an historic rate as well this season, giving up the fourth-fewest average points per game in this 19-year window at 17.2 ppg – ranked No. 5 in the FCS and a Big Sky-low. Only the 2021 team (16.3 ppg), 2006 team (16.1), and 2007 team (14.8) allowed fewer.

• Total D: All that leads up to total yards allowed, and the 2023 D was one of the all-time greats, giving up an average of just 314.7 yards per contest – the third fewest ever under Hauck. The only other Griz teams to give up fewer yards were 2006 (266.4), 2003 (310.7), and 1995 (310.7).

FINDING BALANCE: Led by first year coordinator Brent Pease, Montana's offense was also highly productive and clinically balanced in UM's 13-win season. How balanced?

Of Montana's 5,619 yards of total offense this season, it was nearly split down the middle between the run and pass. The Griz threw for 2,967 yards and rushed for 2,652 yards, a combined difference of just 315 yards.

The Griz were third in the nation and first in the Big Sky in first down offense this season, moving the chains 297 times while outscoring opponents 454-258.

BERGEN BITES: Junior Bergen was nothing short of electric for Montana this season and announced his return to the program via social media on Friday.

After running back two punts and one kickoff for touchdowns in the playoffs – not to mention throwing the game-winning two-point conversion against NDSU – he now holds the school record and tied the Big Sky record with 5 career punt returns for touchdowns with MSU's Corey Smith. He's now chasing the FCS record of 8 set by LeRoy Vann of Florida A&M.

The Billings native has done a bit of everything for the Griz in his career. Highlighted by a 39-yard kickoff return in the title game he racked up 589 all-purpose yards in this year's playoffs alone and is sitting at 1,680 all-purpose yards this season, a top-10 total in program history.

He's also now racked-up 3,230 career all-purpose yards, a top-10 mark for the Griz, and with another season could catch Marc Mariani's record of 5,441 yards. As a receiver he led Montana in catches this year with 58, one of the top-20 all-time seasons at UM and fourth-most in the Big Sky Conference.

Oh, and passing… He doesn't do it very often, but when he does, he connects. Bergen is now 4-for-4 passing in his career with 77 yards, a touchdown, and one very crucial two-point conversion against NDSU. That's a perfect completion percentage, and he's averaging 25.7 yards per pass.

DEFENSIVE STARS
• Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year Alex Gubner has now earned two first-team and three total All-America honors this season. He's also a two-time first-team all-conference pick and a two-time team defensive MVP.

Gubner is the first Grizzly D-tackle or interior lineman to ever be named the league's Defensive MVP, but he's the 14th Grizzly to win the award. In fact, only seven interior defensive linemen have ever been named Defensive MVP by the Big Sky Conference… His freshman season he was a nominee for the now-defunct Piesman Award after he picked off four passes that year.

• Braxton Hill will go down as one of the top defenders in Grizzly history after starring on Montana's dominant defense. The Anaconda native and former walk-on will get his shot at the NFL this spring after leading the Big Sky in tackles with 128 on the year, a top-10 season in Grizzly history. He graduates with 231 stops to his name at Montana, tied with Alex Shaw at No. 37 among UM's all-time leaders.

• Trevin Gradney, another Billings native, led the nation for much of the year in interceptions and finished at the Big Sky leader with five on the year. He also finished top-four in the league in total passes defended with 12, despite missing two games with injury. He earned first-team all-conference honors for his efforts as a DB.

• Riley Wilson was a revelation for the Grizzly defense at linebacker this season after transferring in from Hawaii where he was a tight end. The sophomore finished the year second in the Big Sky in TFLs with 15 and is fifth in the league in sacks with 8.5.

OFFENSIVE STANDOUTS
• Keelan White had a breakout year at receiver, leading the team with 798 yards on 54 catches, the fourth-most total yards in the Big Sky on a team that was clinically balanced in the run/pass game. With 104 catches for 1,234 career receiving yards White is on the cusp of entering Montana's all-time lists in the top two receiver categories.

Together, White and Bergen accounted for the fourth and fifth-most receiving yards, respectively, in the Big Sky this season, combining for 1,589 between them. With Aaron Fontes –another breakout star for the Griz at receiver in 2023 – added to the mix with 617 yards receiving, the three accounted for nearly three quarters of all UM's receiving yard total.

• Freshman running back Eli Gillman was named the winner of the 2023 Jerry Rice Award for the FCS Freshman of the Year in November, an award he received in from Jerry Rice himself in person at the Stats Perform FCS Awards Banquet on the eve of the national championship in Frisco. He was a runaway winner of the 13th annual Rice Award. A national, 56-member panel voted Gillman with 203-point total, No. 1 among 22 finalists, and nearly 100 points more than the runner-up.

He was also the first Grizzly to ever win the Big Sky Freshman of the Year award after a breakout season with 968 yards on the ground, a top-16 season among all rushers in Grizzly history and the third-most for a freshman in all D-I football.

He had three 100-yard rushing games in his first season in the Grizzly lineup and missed out on a fourth by three yards at Portland State. His 12 rushing TD's this season are a top-20 mark in program history, and he set a new school record at UC Davis with an 85-yard touchdown run, the longest from scrimmage in program history.

With 65 yards and one TD his true freshman year, Gillman's career total of 1,033 yards and 13 TD puts him in the career record books as well. His 13 rushing TDs are tied for the 18^th most in program history and he is just 278 yards away from entering UM's top-25 career leaders list.

• Senior Nick Ostmo helps give Montana a 1-2 punch in the running back room with an additional 655 rushing yards this season.

After battling injuries throughout his time as a Grizzly, he's quietly had one of the best rushing careers in Montana history, with 1,856 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground – both top-10 marks in program history. With three touchdown catches in his career, is total of 24 total scored is a top-15 mark in school history.

• Quarterback Clifton McDowell had a record season at UM before transferring out, going 11-1 as a starter. His 753 net rush yards are the most in a season in modern Grizzly history since 1991, surpassing Dalton Sneed's 2018 total of 675 yards against Furman. Jordan Johnson (506 yards, 2011), Cole Bergquist (383 yards, 2007), and Dave Dickenson (336 yards, 1993) round out the top five rushing QB seasons ever at Montana. The Houston, Texas-area native was named the Big Sky's Newcomer of the Year.

SPECIAL SPECIALISTS: Kicker Nico Ramos and punter Travis Benham will leave Montana having quietly completed outstanding careers for the Grizzlies. In two seasons at UM, Ramos made 21 of his 27 field goal attempts, connecting at a clip of 77.8 percent. That's the third-best career field goal percentage in Grizzly history.

Benham also etched his name in UM's history books after one season at Montana, averaging 40.5 yards per punt on his 66 attempts, a top-11 average in program history. He was deadly from close range, leading the Big Sky in punts landing inside the 20 with 26, and punts resulting in a fair catch with 29 on the season.

EXPERIENCE MATTERS: Montana is set to return ample experience from the 2023 conference championship squad next season, starting up front for the offense. First-team All-Big Sky tackle Brandon Casey is expected to return with 30 starts to his name, while Journey Grimsrud, a D-line convert, will return with 20 starts. Guard Liam Brown is also expected to be back with 15 career starts while Cannon Panfiloff has 4 and Declan McCabe and Kukila Lincoln each have 1, giving the Grizzly O-line a projected 71 returning starts in 2023.

In the receiving room, Keelan White comes back with 29, Aaron Fontes has 13 starts and Bergen has 15. With Sawyer Racanelli (2) and Drew Deck (1) added in, the receiver room returns 60 career starts.

Montana loses seven regular starters to graduation on defense in 2024 but brings back 31 combined starts on the D-line between Hayden Harris, Kale Edwards, and Garrett Hustedt. Safety Ryder Meyer started every game this year with 15 to his name, and linebacker Ryan Tirrell is set to return with seven starts. With Trevin Gradney (12), RJ Jackson (2) and Riley Wilson (2) added in, Montana's defense is set to return 67 combined starts.

HEADS OR TAILS: That question befuddled the Griz this season, with Montana losing nine-straight coin tosses over nine of the last 10 games. Ironically, UM won the toss and elected to defer in the title game loss to SDSU. In fact, Montana won the toss in its only two losses of the season but went 9-0 when losing the opening coin flip.

Captain AJ Forbes did come up big for the Griz in overtime against NDSU, winning the post-game coin toss to give UM the preference of sending the Bison offense on the field first, a choice that paid off in the 2OT win.

A NATION CAPTIVATED BY THE GRIZ: 1.04 million viewers tuned in to ABC to watch Montana in the national title game against SDSU, the largest known single game TV audience in program history, beating out the 981,000 viewers that saw UM beat NDSU in 2015 on ESPN.

1,469,000 combined viewers were treated to a pair of thrilling playoff games in Washington-Grizzly Stadium on ESPN2 in December. The Grizzlies' Friday night OT win over Furman on 12/8 garnered 679,000 viewers, while the double overtime win over NDSU on 12/16 drew 790,000. They were, by far, the most viewed FCS games on ESPN2 during this year's playoffs. For reference, Montana's regular season game at Idaho on ESPN2 drew just 241,000 viewers.

THE MECCA OF FCS FOOTBALL: Montana calls Washington-Grizzly Stadium home and the Grizzly faithful help make it one of the best home-field advantages in college football.

The Griz are now 230-35 (.867) at home since the stadium opened in 1986 and 33-7 (.891) in home playoff games in that time. As head coach for the Griz, Hauck is now 88-11 (.889) at home and has led UM to 5 perfect seasons in Missoula.

Griz fans helped cause 5 false start penalties against NDSU in the semifinal (the second-most in any game this year), bringing UM's season total of opponent false starts to 26.

Montana sold-out all six of its regular season games in 2023 and sold out the semifinal game against NDSU – the first playoff sellout in program history. UM also sold a program record 18,761 season ticket packages in 2023. The Griz led the FCS in average and total attendance with 25,069 fans per game, more than 1/3rd of the FBS.

University of Montana Athletics

Players Mentioned

Travis Benham

Junior Bergen

Liam Brown

Brandon Casey

Drew Deck

Kale Edwards

Aaron Fontes

AJ Forbes

Eli Gillman

Trevin Gradney

Journey Grimsrud

Alex Gubner

Hayden Harris

Braxton Hill

Garrett Hustedt

Kukila Lincoln

Declan McCabe

Clifton McDowell

Ryder Meyer

Nick Ostmo

Cannon Panfiloff

Sawyer Racanelli

Nico Ramos

Ryan Tirrell

Keelan White

Riley Wilson

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